De-Cluttering Before Moving

If you were to talk to anyone about creating a list of the most stressful events in their lives, moving house is invariably near the top of that list! Boxing up the entire contents of your home is a daunting task, whilst an even worse feeling, can be arriving at your new home only to discover, upon opening those boxes, that you don’t actually need or want a lot of those items… you have essentially been hoarding them for years!

In fact, moving house is an opportunity to start afresh and declutter your possessions. Here, we look at steps you can take to make this process more manageable and productive.

First things first, create four different boxes, one to keep/move, one to sell or donate, one to dispose, and one for recycling. By colour coding each box, you can utilise matching stickers to allocate larger items. Start with one room at a time, preferably the one you use least, and get sorting.

Anything that doesn’t fit with the décor of your new home or perhaps the size, needs to be allocated accordingly. Ornaments, glass, and any breakables should be carefully considered as they involve extra packaging and care when moving. When dealing with furniture, it helps to plan where it will live in the new space, ultimately this will determine if it is even worth taking the piece with you. The same applies to paintings, pictures, and decorative art, consider if the new property has enough wall space for all of them? Does the décor of your new home suit those items? Clothes, shoes, and bags that have gone unworn for at least a year, should not make the journey to your new abode unless they hold significant sentimental value.

Don’t forget to sort through trinkets and jewellery boxes! In our experience, this can also be beneficial… meticulously sorting through these treasures affords the opportunity to rediscover long lost pieces which could possibly raise funds to contribute towards the cost of moving.

Collect all documentation relating to your current property in one folder, and anything relating to your new property in a separate folder – this will make it easier to track down any relevant paperwork if it’s needed.

When tackling areas such as the garage, loft, shed or any other storage area, think carefully about these items. If they have been in storage for a period, it is unlikely that you will need them. A box of china, an unused porcelain dinner set, or a canteen of silver in the loft that has been sitting there for some time, or a painting in the garage that you inherited that doesn’t match your style… Why not consider selling those items? Anything you have, that is no longer needed, used, or enjoyed, could possibly be sold, donated to charity, or safely disposed of. If you are concerned that you might have a need for an item in the future, weigh up the cost of moving and storing versus the cost of replacing.

If you believe you have any fine jewellery, paintings, watches, clocks, antique or contemporary furniture, decorative art, or collectables, we always recommend contacting a reputable valuer. They will be able to ensure that no items of value are missed. Indeed, here at Dawsons our friendly team of specialist valuers can help assist at what can be a stressful time and will ensure that any items of potential value are identified.

read more

Where Do I Start with De-Cluttering My House

The Emotional Side of Selling House Contents

How to Value House Contents

Are you looking to declutter your home? Do you have any fine jewellery, art, or collectables?

Our expert valuers would be delighted to help identify all items that have a value in your home.

Please get in touch today: 0207 431 9445 / info@dawsonsauctions.co.uk